Popular turn-based strategy game XCOM: Enemy Within now available on mobile devices

So it’s still the same taut strategy game about fighting turn-based battles against aliens before returning to base to research new weapons, launch satellites, build laboratories, and sort out the world’s ET problem.

Fight aliens on your mobile devices with XCOM: Enemy Within

The game, which was ported by Virtuos, is compatible with Amazon Fire devices, select Android devices, the iPad 3, iPad mini 2 and iPhone 5 and up. Multiplayer won’t be available on Amazon devices. The game includes new soldier abilities, weapons, equipment enemy threats, strategic resources and story elements. Multiplayer will be supported through Google Play and Apple Game Center.

Gameplay

Meld down

Meld – a new resource that can be used to give your soldiers cybernetic implants like super pupils that improve your aim, chameleon-like skin that renders you invisible, and bionic legs that let you leap onto rooftops.

You can also use it to craft mechanised exosuits called MECs, which turn soldiers into walking tanks that can’t take cover, and can fire flamethrowers and rail guns.

These new powers are introduced almost immediately and change battles radically. Plus, the way you uncover this stuff completely alters the way XCOM is typically played.

Illegal alien

As these precious few Meld canisters self destruct after a few turns, you must rush into battle to collect them in time. This forces you to mix up the old play style of slowly creeping from cover to cover, hammering on overwatch and clearing out buildings room by room.

You need to dash, use the assault class’s run and gun ability, and throw caution to the wind. It’s risky, but more fun and a nice change of pace compared to vanilla XCOM.

Enemy Within also adds new enemies. There’s an invisible squid-like nightmare called the Seeker which slowly strangles a soldier to death unless someone else shoots it off, and human combatants who bring significantly different mission types to the campaign.

XCOM: Enemy Within certainly makes XCOM feel fresh and exciting again, and the new additions will appeal to die-hard fans of the original who want to play the game on the move.

Features

• New Soldier Abilities: Build new base facilities to unlock unearthly new capabilities for XCOM’s soldiers. The Genetics Lab will allow soldiers to receive powerful genetic modifications, and the Cybernetics Lab allows soldiers to use devastating mechanized cybersuits in battle.

• New Weapons and Equipment: Give your operatives an extra tactical edge with new projects from your engineering team and the Foundry.

• New Enemy Threats: Adopt new tactics to counter the threats from two new alien types and a deadly new organization known as EXALT.

• New Strategic Resource: A valuable new alien resource, known as Meld, has been discovered. Secure it on the battlefield, research a new technology to unlock its power, and use it carefully back at base to unlock new upgrades and weaponry.

• New Story Elements: Investigate a terrifying threat in an abandoned fishing village, and defend the XCOM headquarters from alien attack in a series of new plot-driven missions.